We’ve heard of the ketogenic (“keto”) diet, fermented foods, non-dairy milks and plant proteins, but what do they all have in common? They are some of the hottest food and nutrition trends to look for in 2019, according to dietitians surveyed in the 7th annual Pollock Communications and Today’s Dietitian“What’s Trending in Nutrition” survey. With 1,342 registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) responding, the survey divulges what leading RDNs predict consumers are thinking and eating. While fermented foods hold steady as the #1 superfood for 2018 and 2019, some surprising newcomers have made the list, including beets, blueberries and non-dairy milks. And in a shocking switch, RDNs predict that a “healthy” label will begin to surpass cost and taste when it comes to consumer purchase drivers. A not-so-surprising trend dietitians report is the rise of keto as the most popular consumer diet, ousting clean eating from last year’s top spot, with intermittent fasting making its debut as #2. It’s clear from these predictions that consumers are on the hunt for a flat belly and will take extreme diet measures in their pursuit.

“It’s not that “clean eating” has declined in popularity,” says Jenna A. Bell, PhD, RDN, SVP of Pollock Communications. “We are still seeing the consumer push for cleaner labels and the industry continues their work to deliver it. But what’s different here is that millennial consumers are going beyond eliminating a food group, like cutting gluten, to making more drastic changes that require real lifestyle adjustments.” Dr. Bell explains that this movement reflects a greater recognition of the importance of what we eat. She says, “it’s beyond food is medicine; now food is the core of wellness.”

Top 10 Superfoods for 2019

RDNs predict fermented foods – like yogurt, Kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi and miso – will continue to be highly sought after by consumers in 2019, likely for their powerful benefits from boosting gut health to blunting inflammation. Kale has fallen off the top 10 list, with non-dairy milks nabbing the #10 spot. This underscores the rise in popularity of plant proteins and finding plant-based swaps. Other superfood list newcomers, beets and blueberries join this list of dietitian superfood predictions for 2019:

Fermented foods, like yogurt

Avocado

Seeds

Ancient Grains

Exotic fruit, like acai, golden berries

Blueberries

Beets

Nuts

Coconut products

Non-dairy milks

“Plant-based eating has been a major focus in the dietetic community,” says Jenna Bell, RDN, “Now, consumers are hearing this message and it’s what they want.” This is apparent in the growth of seeds, nuts and non-dairy alternatives. The supermarket milk case has gone from cow to soy, rice, almond, coconut, walnut and oats! Consumers are fulfilling their health and protein needs with a diverse number of dairy and non-dairy products.

To Eat or Not to Eat – That is the Trend

Consumers realize that what they eat affects how they feel, and based on the trends reported, RDNs think that consumers are looking for diets that primarily drive weight loss. As RDNs predicted, keto was a diet trend to watch in 2018, and it has soared in popularity. RDNs agree the keto craze will continue in 2019, with consumers significantly reducing carbohydrates, grains and sugar in favor of vegetables, animal fat and meat. According to the survey, RDNs believe the next big diet – or lack thereof – will be intermittent fasting, with clean eating coming in as third most popular.

“We have witnessed a progression in consumer demand for “health” and “clean” throughout the seven years of our survey, and as millennials have been moving into their 30’s,” says Louise Pollock, President of Pollock Communications. “We have seen the food industry respond by changing their strategy from a taste, cost-driven approach to one that appeals to these powerful health and wellness-seeking consumers.”

Choose Wisely – “Healthy” Holds the Halo

One of the most interesting findings for 2019 is RDNs predict that consumers will be more concerned about the healthfulness of food products than the cost and taste when making purchasing decisions. Healthfulness has hovered near the top 3 purchase drivers in recent years, but it’s notable that for the first time it has moved up to the #2 spot, reinforcing the demand for better-for-you food choices. Convenience remains a steady stronghold at #1, with cost and taste at the #3 and #4 spots, followed by natural, organic and gluten-free.

Advice from the Experts – RDNs Know Best

According to RDNs, Facebook is still the #1 source of where consumers receive nutrition misinformation, followed by blogs and Instagram. And celebrities and friends/family remain the top sources of who consumers get nutrition misinformation from. But when in doubt, RDNs feel that it’s always best to ask the experts – RDNs – who agree that consumers should eat more servings of vegetables per day and increase fiber intake, which helps promote a healthy gut and improve overall well-being.

“RDs are experts at predicting trends because they consistently know what to expect from consumers,” says Mara Honicker, publisher of Today’s Dietitian. “Their trustworthy nutrition knowledge educates and improves consumer wellness, and their insights drive the future of food in industry and public policy.”

For more information on Pollock Communications’ expertise and to learn how we can create award-winning programs for your organization or brand, contact us.

This just in! The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Committee Report was released today!

Remember when it was critical to find foods that had “no cholesterol”? For decades, nutrition and public health experts deemed dietary cholesterol enemy of the heart and advised Americans to cap their intake at 300mg per day. Based on a comprehensive review of the evidence conducted by the Committee, the importance of lowering dietary cholesterol has been downgraded.

A historically feared component of animal-based foods, the advisory committee took notice to the growing number of studies failing to show harm related to cholesterol consumption among healthy adults and those with high cholesterol levels. The advisory committee is now looking for the Dietary Guidelines to remove the emphasis on cholesterol – stating that it is not considered a nutrient of concern for overconsumption. Make no mistake, the committee is not reversing previous recommendations of reducing cholesterol intake, but instead is acknowledging that cholesterol is not the alleged villain as previously thought.

Pollock Communications has a long history of successfully communicating the health and wellness benefits of brands and commodity foods to consumers, retailers and healthcare professionals. With registered dietitians on staff, Pollock helps their clients understand new dietary guidelines and communicate messages that align with current recommendations. For more information on how we can communicate your key messages and achieve your goals, contact us.

1. Hashtags & Selfies

The #selfie is here to stay. With a greater focus on social media, FNCE® hallways were lined with selfie stations ready for attendees to strike a pose and post away! Expo exhibitors, such as California Almonds, also joined the social media action with their own hashtags and interactive experiences that helped them speak with attendees both in person and online. We loved their vending machine where you pay with a tweet instead of a dollar.

2. Snack Attack

The art of snacking is an evolving trend with the latest being “subscription snacking,” with snacks delivered to your door on a regular basis. Not only is how we get our snacks changing, but we also saw many new and interesting snacks popping up. What snacks caught our eye?

Hummus from Eat Well Embrace Life with expanding ingredients, such as carrots and beets.

Savory (not sweet) KIND bars to fill the gaps between meals.

3. Labels

More and more, consumers are empowered to better understand what is in their food, and labels are their key to knowing. Nutrition Facts Panels and ingredient lists are label staples, but dietitians and consumers want to know more – gluten-free, GMOs, organic are all high on people’s radars.

4. Back to Nature

Several exhibitors were getting back to their roots in the expo. Campbell’s soup highlighted their farm-grown vegetables and the state of Georgia was proud to show off their state-grown crops from peaches to pecans.

As always, FNCE® is an important gauge for what is going on in the food industry. We were excited to see evolving trends and hear directly from registered dietitians about what is important to them and their clients.

At Pollock Communications, we know that developing and maintaining a strong relationships with key influencers is crucial to communicating our clients’ messages and achieving their goals. Creating a memorable presence at healthcare professional conferences is just one of the ways that we do this. For more information on how we can help build your healthcare professional outreach program, contact us.